Palace of Doom
by Bebo Lokk
Summary: Hired by the New Republic, Bebo Lokk runs into some trouble trying to get a Hutt


Palace of Doom

By Buck Tadlock

The starlines dwindled down to individual stars in the viewport of

Bebo Lokk's starship, Creeping Death. It is one of the smoothest

models of ships to decelerate from hyperspace in. A Corellian model

freighter with a major modification job on weapons and the defensive

systems.

Bebo has a communications droid that remains on board his ship, CD8,

who also acts as a co-pilot when needed. CD8 is well equipped, It has

many functions in which its owner utilizes. Included in the droids

modifications are a state of the art weapons system.

The ship was given to Bebo as a reward for tracking down and bringing

in a traitor of his former homeworld of Memakk, a planet in the

Mandalore star system. The Mandalore faction had a secret installation

on the planet, the traitor decided that the information was more

valuable than the safety and security on the planet. Bebo and several

other members of his squad, tracked the man down and after an intense

interrogation, ended the mans life.

"We are about to enter the upper atmosphere," the droid informed Bebo.

Bebo was busy at the controls, logging in data and checking status

reports. "Which port shall we take it in at, sir?"

This job assignment that Bebo had taken, required a little prep work

to be done in advance. Bringing in Bamba the Hutt would not be an easy

task, tracking him down was the easy part, getting behind his body

guards and into the palace would be a little more difficult. Not to

mention the bulk and weight of the large beast.

Bamba, much like his cousin Jabba, was notorious for surrounding

himself with the scum of the galaxy. Following on his cousins path, he

took over the palace, procuring it from the B'Omarr monks. Much like

the palace of old, the new owner had it set up as the headquarters for

his illegal activities, it was also a hideout for many of his

employees. There they would gamble, do drugs or drink themselves into

a slur.

Bebo and Bamba had a run in once before, Bamba getting the better of

the Mandalore soldier that time. Had it not been for Chukk Barnoo, a

fellow soldier, Bebo may have met his end.

"Let's take her in at Mos Eisley," Bebo said to his droid. "I am

supposed to meet my contact person there. The guy is apparently a

regular at the palace and may be able to get me in. For the right

price, of course." Bebo looked directly at CD8, "Once I leave, you

need to stay alert. After I have my prisoner, I'll activate the homing

beacon and you will need to show up quickly."

"I hope this 'fee' is worth it," the droid commented, "especially if

you have to make another of your escapes I've come to love so much."

Bebo enjoyed the sarcasm that was programmed into the droid, it made

for more entertaining trips. Besides being good for a few laughs, the

droid was also a worthy opponent at many games.

"So what is the fee, if you don't mind me asking."

Bebo pulled his helmet out of the storage compartment where many of

his uniforms and suites of armor were stored. "Two thousand credits,

just to get me in the door."

"What a cover charge!" the droid shouted in excitement.

"Yeah, about what I'll be making for taking him in. Makes you wonder

if we're in the right business, doesn't it?" He asked his droid.

The twin suns of Tattoine beat down on the armor covered Bebo as he

walked away from the docking bay. "Here we go again," he said unto

himself as he walked down the steps and into what had become probably

the most popular cantina in the galaxy. 

Sitting alone at a booth, Bebo sat with a straw running up under his

visor. He was enjoying the tunes the band was playing when a large,

beady eyed humanoid loomed over him. Bebo looked up and could sense

that the creature was sizing him up.

"Glad you could make it on time," the creature said in an accented

basic. "Wearing just what you said you would be. Kill one of em' or

are you one?" he asked.

Bebo thought for a moment about telling the creature he had killed one

of them, but realized he would be more intimidating if he just told the

truth. " I was in the Mandalore army, if that helps you out any."

Since the short resurgence of the new Mandalore army, it was not

uncommon to run across someone posing as a soldier, though the armor

did make for good protection. The gear was easy to come by on the

black market, if one had the sources. However, wearing the armor made

you subject to test your skills.

"Thought maybe you were one of those that just stumbled across it and

tried to scare your enemies," the creature said in a taunting tone.

"Try me," Bebo replied in a deep, dry voice, that made the hair on the

creatures neck stand on their ends. "Not afraid, are you creature?"

"Juno, I go by Juno. No, I'm not afraid, especially of any humans,"

the creature replied. "Do you so easily forget about the company I

keep?" The creature sat down and leaned forward, only inches from the

visor of Bebo's helmet, "do you have the credits," he asked.

The straw retracted from under the visor as Bebo leaned even closer to

Juno. "Yes I do," he stated. "So let's do it!"

As they approached the palace, the perspiration began to multiply on

Juno. Bringing a human into the palace was a risky move. Juno knew

that Bamba did not trust many humans, though many wanted in to try

their luck. If all went well, one could leave the luxurious palace a

lot wealthier than when they arrived. All Juno knew was that his

client needed a way in, what he didn't know, was the reason.

"Nervous?" Bebo asked in a sarcastic manner.

The jumpsuit he wore under his armor was made of an infra red

technology that allowed Bebo to remain at an ambient temperature. 

Though the heat of the dessert did get a little warm, Bebo remained at

a comfortable temperature.

For miles, there was nothing to see except the sand dunes that

surrounded them all across the landscape, the sky was a cloudless blue

and the bright shining twin suns.

"Once we're past the guards, you are on your own," the large creature

told his passenger as they neared ever closer to the palace before

them. "Any bad things start to happen, don't even think about looking

to me for help."

Bebo had already counted that option out, he knew from the onset that

this beast would have no part in a plot to take out his boss. Bamba

had a way of instilling fear into his employees, so none would even

think about turning on him. Of course, the amount they were being paid

had great deal to do with that as well. Bribing was out of the

question as far as getting some inside help, the New Republic was

having enough troubles to overbid Bamba for someone's services.

"Don't worry, I don't think you could be much help to me anyway. I

know how scared you are of your boss, it's written all over your face,"

said Bebo, instigating the creature.

Since joining the New Republic, Bebo had been on several small caliber

assignments, this one he volunteered for, wanting a challenge. They

offered to send an entire special ops team in, but Bebo told them he

could operate better alone, plus going solo would be easier to remain

under cover. Now, Bebo was beginning to have second thoughts, maybe he

should have at least brought some support personnel along for backup. 

Getting past the guards was not as difficult as he thought it would

be. The helmet, covering his face, enabled easy access. The guards

did not even require him to take it off for identification purposes. 

Gamorreans were not known to be among the brightest of creatures

either.

Inside the palace, the atmosphere was wild. Loud music, drinking,

smoking, dancing and gambling engulfed the place. Some creatures had

even passed out on the floor or at their tables where they had been

drinking. By the smell of the place, a dead body could go unnoticed

for quite some time.

Bebo made his way into Bamba's main audience chamber, a Rodian and an

overweight human were wrestling on the floor. Bamba laughed away as

the human choked the green man into unconsciousness. The room was dark

and humid, smoked lingered and the stinch of death was in the air.

Bebo found and empty seat at a sabbacc table. A game was already in

progress between Twi'lik and Quarren. After observing for several

rounds, Bebo realized that the stakes in this game were high, they had

both bet swoops, which was their source of transportation and several

expensive gems were laying on the table as well.

Understanding of multiple languages was a specialty that Bebo

possessed, however at this table he was having a hard time

understanding the slang the two were using. Judging their body

language, it was very apparent the situation had become tense. 

Violence was eminent.

Not wanting to get any unwanted attention drawn his way, which would

be certain if the two began fighting, the masked Mandalore slipped out

of the main audience chamber. Wanting to get a better feel for the

place, Bebo began to snoop around. The place was just as the history

books had it, nasty and a place that would be low on someone who

possessed half a brain, as a place to visit. The corridors were dark,

dim halogen bulbs emitted the only light present. For a place that was

sitting in the middle of the heated desert, Bebo felt a cold chill

encompass his entire body. Feeling the stability of the walls, Bebo

began to talk to himself, "Hmm, must have been built eons ago." After

a little more investigating, Bebo put a call through to CD8, "8, do you

copy?" he asked.

"Yes, I am here," the droid replied.

"When I send the signal, the best spot will probably be the east

entrance, make sure all systems are a go as well, just in case."

"Have big plans do we?" a strange voice asked from the darkness ahead.

A Devaronian appeared out of nowhere. He was about a head length

taller than Bebo, not including the horns that erected out from his

bald head. The creature was smiling, sharp fangs glistening in the dim

light.

"Indeed I do," Bebo said in return, wandering if the Devaronian had

heard his entire conversation or had been following him the entire time

he wandered the halls.

The huge humanoid turned as if he were going to just walk away. 

Suddenly he turned with extreme speed, extending an arm that connected

brutally with Bebo's visor. The blow sent the masked soldier tumbling

down the hall, head over heels. Sprawled across the dusty ground, Bebo

looked up in time to see a giant boot coming down on his head. Showing

off his own speed, the Mandalore grabbed the foot of the Devaronian and

rolled it over to one side, bringing the giant creature crashing to the

ground himself. Jumping to his feet, Bebo grabbed his blaster and was

about to let loose a barrage of shots.

"No! Don't shoot him!" a voice cried out from the darkness.

Bebo spun around, blaster in hand and ready to let whomever stood

there feel the power of his weapon. The human that stood before him

was unarmed, itching to pull the trigger, Bebo knew he couldn't shoot the

unarmed figure, it was against his code of honor.

"We don't mean you no harm," the man said. "He was just going to give

you a hard time, an initiation, if you will."

Bebo looked back at the Devaronian, who had already stood back up and

was smiling his evil smile.

"Where did you pick up that armor?" the man asked. "It looks like

the real deal."

As the human reached out to touch the chest plate of Bebo's armor, the

Mandalore backed a step and leveled his blaster at the mans' chest. 

Bebo knew better than to trust anyone in this place, especially if they

tried to get touchy with him.

"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" Bebo inquired.

The man looked at his counterpart and spoke with pride, "I am J'Coola,

and this is my good friend, Landrott. Bamba saw you in his chamber and

just wanted us to keep tabs on you, that's all."

"Well I am here to try and win my fortune. And if possible, find

someone who may be interested in a business venture," Bebo threw in,

trying to convince them of his reason for being in the palace. The

types that hung around in this place were always looking for a way to

make money on the side, so Bebo thought he would try his luck on these

two and see how far they would go for a few tokens.

"You will have to explain yourself to Bamba, not me," said J'Coola,

"he wants to see you. Entering his personal chamber without

introducing yourself or an invitation to even be there was pretty

stupid," J'Coola added. 

'Stupid!' Bebo thought to himself, J'Coola was right, how could he

have been dumb enough to walk right in front of Bamba and the large

Hutt not have any suspicions.

Bebo thought that he would get a quick glimpse of where Bamba

entertained himself and see what kind of protection he kept on hand. 

Obviously he underestimated the large beast.

J'Coola and Landrott escorted Bebo to the chamber where the Hutt was

perched upon his dais. Bebo could not help but jerk his head at the

odor the Hutt emitted. Being hospitable was not a specialty that

Hutt's made a custom, especially to someone who was caught spying or

snooping around their business.

[Ha, ha, ha, what do we have here,] Bamba said in his native Huttese

language.

Creatures of his nature were good at reading people for what they

were, so Bebo figured the Hutt had him pinned as a possible assassin,

which would only work that much more against him. They were quick to

judge and quick to hand out punishment. Bebo could only hope that he

would not be a snack for some flesh eating creature pet of Bamba.

Bebo, knowing many languages, understood the Hutt. "I am here to try

my luck, I'm kinda short on credits, if you know what I mean," Bebo

said.

[There is something familiar about you, who are you?] asked Bamba

Bebo looked around, surely the Hutt could not identify him with his

helmet on. He could only hope that the Hutt was high on spice and not

have that well of intuition. Or even worse, Bamba could be force

sensitive. That would make getting out of this mess ever the more

difficult.

Bebo was about to blurt out a made up name, one that he assumed on

several occasions while working undercover.

"Bebo Lokk!" a voice blurted out. From behind the large creature,

another man stepped out of the shadows.

Bebo felt a sense of emergency when the man stepped into the light. 

It was someone wearing the same Mandalore armor that he wore. "It

can't be," Bebo said to himself as he recognized the markings on the

armor.

The Mandalore that guarded the Hutt held his blaster level on Bebo. 

The blaster itself was even a Mandalore model, which helped convince

Bebo that the man behind the armor was his former fellow soldier in the

new Mandalore army.

"Jeb Bluu, what are you doing this for?" Bebo asked, not even sure

that it was who he presumed it to be behind the mask.

Jeb had been a longtime friend of Bebo, and fought next to him during

their battle on the industrial moon of Ethel. The two had fought off

Imperial troops together as well. A well trained warrior, Jeb would be

a tough obstacle between himself and Bamba. Not to even mention the

hundreds of other patrons that would defend the Hutt.

"It was a lucrative opportunity that I just couldn't pass up," Jeb

said, assuring Bebo of who wore the armor.

[Bebo Lokk,] the Hutt cut in, [we have met before, ha,ha, yes I do

remember that,] the giant creature did something with his hands as he

laughed hysterically.

The floor dropped out from under Bebo, twisting and tumbling until he

crashed onto the soft floor of what appeared to be a dungeon. Human

and animal bones littered the floor, death was in the air.

A shot of fear ran through Bebo as he regained his senses and realized

he was in the pit that Jabba had housed his pet Rancor in. The mighty

Luke Skywalker had nearly met his doom in this very same place. Bebo

began to wonder if Bamba housed any carnivorous creatures that ate

humans as well. 'Entertainment for the day,' the Mandalore soldier

said to himself.

Cheers, hoots and hollering filled the room, bets were being placed as

creatures of all varieties jockeyed for better positioning to view the

match. Only a few of them at a time would be able to see what was

going on below. Bamba, of course, would have the best seat in the

house.

Chains rattled as a gate slowly opened. In the doorway stood three

creatures, a Devaronian and two Gamorreans. The Devaronian was

Landrott, being punished for losing his earlier fight with the human. 

The Gamorreans were regulars in the pit.

As the two shorter creatures waddled forward, Landrott came charging

out of the gate at Bebo, lunging for any piece of him he could get his

hands on.

Bebo stepped to the side, evading the initial attack by the

Devaronian. A Gamorrean was right behind, swinging his vibro axe at

the mid section of Bebo Lokk. The Mandalore jumped over the attempt of

the first guard and activated his flame thrower, burning the second

guard to a smoldering, squealing lump of a carcass.

Seizing the opportunity, Landrott grabbed Bebo from behind, nearly

squeezing the life from him. Bebo struggled, with his last bit of

strength he reached and flipped another switch on his wrist gauntlet.

"Yeowee!" The Devaronian cried as the thrusters on Bebo's jet pack

ignited, burning into his legs. The horned creature released Bebo and

the two of them fell to the ground, Landrott clutching his legs.

Snorting, the remaining guard charged with his vibro axe held high

over his head. Bebo rolled several times until he reached the spot

where the burned carcass had dropped it's vibro axe.

With the axe in hand, Bebo went on the offense, swing several times at

the snorting creature. The hoglike beast was just fast enough to turn

away the stabs Bebo made.

'These things are heavy,' thought Bebo, as he blocked the advances

made by the guard. The weight of the vibro axe was not a problem for

the creature whose arms were as big around as Bebo's waist.

The axes' crashed together several more times before the overpowering

Gamorrean knocked the axe loose of Bebo's grasp, sending the Mandalore

falling to the ground. The guard raised his axe high, about to give

the death blow when a lanyard shot from the wrist of Bebo and looped

several times around the arms of the beast.

Taken by surprise, the Gamorrean hesitated, giving Bebo time to loop

the slack around the guards neck. The creature gasped as his supply of

oxygen ran out.

"And for my next trick," said Bebo, as he reached into a pouch on his

utility belt.

Several shots were heard from within the smokescreen that bellowed out

of the dungeon and began to slowly engulf the entire lower levels of

the palace. As the smoke began to clear, the doors to the dungeon had

been blown open and several creatures lay motionless on the ground.

Bamba's eyes bulged, almost out of their sockets. [That's

entertainment!] he said. [Now go and find him!] he ordered to the

Mandalore at his side.

Jeb and several other creatures of Bamba's court scoured the dark

corridors of the palace, searching high and low for Bebo Lokk. Bamba

offered the one who brought him in, dead or alive, a credit line of

five thousand.

J'Coola, the lowlife gambler, tiptoed through the dark halls. With

the air so still he could hear his own heart beating. Blaster held

shoulder high, pointing at the ceiling, J'Coola turned a corner holding

his breath, as he did every corner. Deeply in debt, the man needed

this credit, though it would not cover all of what he owed the Hutt, it

would show he was a loyal servant. With his mind distracted as he

thought of getting the jackpot, J'Coola did not even notice that a

magnetic tip on a lanyard grabbed hold of his blaster until it was to

late. Froze stiff as the blaster flew through the air, he watched as

it landed in the hands of Bebo Lokk. Shaking it off, he immediately

grabbed his blade and charged the soldier.

"Even better," Bebo said as he grabbed his own blade. Without blaster

shots being fired, he knew that his position would not be compromised. 

As long as he could take the gambler out quickly and quietly, Bebo

figured he could remain undetected.

To Bebo's surprise, J'Coola was skilled at hand to hand combat. The

two rolled around on the ground, aggressively attacking one another. 

After several missed attempts, Bebo landed his fist square on his

opponents nose.

"Aghhh," cried J'Coola as blood showered from his nose.

Bebo took the opening to put his blade through the mans chest. 

J'Coola fell to the floor, lifeless.

Late into the night, Bebo crept into the Hutts' main audience chamber,

where the obese creature lay sound asleep. With a skid in tow, the

Mandalore stepped over bodies that were crashed out on the floor. Bebo

released the gases from a small device that would help the patrons

sleep a little deeper, blaster set on stun in case the gas didn't take

on the Hutt.

Bebo moved swiftly to load the body of Bamba the Hutt onto the skid,

grunting and groaning as he labored over the weight.

"CD8," He began. "Do you..."

A brilliant flash of energy sliced through the air, just over the

shoulder of the worn out soldier.

"Don't assume everyone in this dump is a drunk," Jeb Bluu said as he

took a few steps closer to Bebo.

The helmet that the two wore was equipped with a filter that did not

allow the gases to take any effect on them. Jeb Bluu was as well armed

as Bebo and possessed the same technology incorporated into the gear.

"If you leave now," Jeb added, "you have a good chance of living."

Bebo was aware that Jeb had been raised the same way he had. No

matter what course their lives had taken them in, they had a code of

honor to live by. Jeb Bluu was hired to protect the Hutt, that is what

he would do.

Jeb walked a long circle around the backside of Bebo. Stopping just

opposite his employer, he turned squarely with Bebo.

Bebo thought that Jeb had gone nuts, putting a target and an ally in

the same firing lane was something to avoid, yet Jeb had stopped in

just that position. 

"Looks like we're in a bit of a bind then, doesn't it?" Bebo asked as

he sat upon the dais that Bamba had been removed from.

Jeb stepped a little closer, "you know you don't have a chance in

beating me and getting out of here alive, I will allow you to leave,

there will always be another time," the Mandalore said.

Bebo leaned to the side, extending his arm to brace himself. The move

was natural, no harm meant.

Several bolts shattered into the ceiling as Jeb fell, the trap doors

opening beneath him. Realizing he underestimated his former colleague,

Jeb lay motionless on the dungeon floor.

"Got to move fast now," Bebo said, as he began to move the skid across

the motionless bodies of dozens of aliens that were scattered about on

the floor.

Creeping Death sat on the landing pad just outside the east entrance. 

Engines humming and entrance ramp down, CD8 had done his job.


End file.
